________________
JUNE, 1891.)
FOLKLORE IN SOUTHERN INDIA ; No. 36.
227
else could the readers expect from a fool who was in pursuit of Ekadasi P At the last page His Majesty stopped and said :
“What a fool the minister is! He has filled so many pages with every possible information, but is silent on a most important point. There were several kinds of fish in the Punganar lake. He has not said a word about them. Where did they go when the embankment was out open P What became of them ? Why has the fool not put in a word about it P"
Just as the monarch finished his last sentence, the transformed Mfrîn SA said: -"Most gracious sovereign, I can give Your Majesty the information needed, for I was that day on the very spot. As soon as the embankment was cat open and the waters rushed out, all the flsh in the lake olimbed up the babal trees which are so numerous on the bank, and building their nests there, are living safe in them at this very momenti”
Thus said Miran Sả, or Kondal Nayakan, as you may choose to term him. The king was highly pleased, as he was sure to see his fish in their nests on the babuil trees on his return to his kingdom! For the great consolation thus given him in good time, he appointed Miran sa to the minister's post and ordered him to govern Punganar in his absence, and degraded the minister who had omitted to remark on the fish in his report. Thus Miran SA, withont any effort of his own, got the minister's place, and receiving the ordor, started back for Punganúr But all the way he was in great doubt as to who had been made minister - Mirau Sx or Kondal Nayakan! "God niust descend from his high place in heaven to clear up such a doubt!" said he, as he returned to Punganer, and took his seat as Viceroy of Panganur.
While all these changes were taking place, Ekadasi remained unoaught. The more they Bearched, the more distant seemed the hope of ever catching him. Sometimes he took the form of a bird and flew away, and sometimes he was transformed into a bare. Thus there was no end to his jugglery, transformations and transmigrations. The king had already been in pursuit of him for nearly a year, and there was still no hope of Ekadast being caught, and of the king returning to Punganûr.
In the Karvôțnagar State, there lived an intelligent Brâ hman who had long been witness of the mad acts of Nirbuddhi, and it seemed to him that there would be no end to them. He pitied the stupidity of the monarch, and wanted to convince him of his foolishness by a simple example. He hired a palanquin and half a dozen bearers. Seating himself in it, he ordered the bearers to carry him with a loud sing-song howl through Nirbuddhi's camp.
"If the king asks you who goes in the palanquin, tell him that Ekadaki, the Brahman, rides in it."
Thas instracting the bearers, the Brahmaş proceeded in his palanquin, and Nirbuddhi heard & great sing-song howl near his camp.
“Stop that palanquin! Who is he that dares to ride in it so boldly, notwithstanding that Our Majesty is encamped here P" Thus said the king, and the bearers replied as already instructed by the Brahman.
Thought the king :-“Blessed be my life to-day! I have been searching almost a whole year for Ekadast! This Brahman, who is named after him, must be able to give me some olge as to how to catch him.”
Tbus thinking, he saluted the Brahman, and requested him to help in catching Ekadasi:
The Brahman came down from the palanquin, and said: "Mont gracious monarch! We are all men. Rkadakt is a god. We cannot catch him. Sinop you have been in pursuit of him, he has been to Punganur twenty-four times, and returned back to his palace."
“What!" said the astonished king. “How can he go to Pungandr, whilo so many of us are pursuing him P I saw him last evening running away as a hare."
Quite true: there had been tapadle is the interval
